PPM 'looking into ways' to keep Prez Yameen in power beyond two terms

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) parliamentary group leader and Villimale MP Ahmed Nihan speaking at a campaign rally held at H. Dh. Ihavandhoo on April 26, 2018 --

Farah Ahmed

27 April 2018, MVT 12:58

Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) parliamentary group leader and Villimale MP Ahmed Nihan Thursday night revealed that the party is looking into ways to keep incumbent President Abdulla Yameen in power, after his two terms in office conclude in 2023.

Speaking at the PPM rally held in Ihavandhoo in the Maldives’ northern Haa Dhaalu atoll, MP Nihan said that the Yameen’s administration has achieved much progress in the last four years, noting that 14 development projects have been carried out during this time on the island alone.

“The Constitution allows two five-year terms for the president; that is 10 years of presidency. We’re talking about maintaining this speed of development on a consistent level. In order to achieve that, I have been thinking of the ways we can keep [President Yameen] in power for longer to carry out these projects to its full potential,” the Villimale MP said.

He compared Yameen’s four year administration to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s three years in office, stating that Nasheed had only initiated three projects in the island of Ihavandhoo during his presidency.

Furthermore, across 194 inhabited islands, an average of 10 development projects on each island have been carried out so far during the past four years, MP Nihan claimed. He said that another five years would mean further development of these projects, as well as new initiatives by the government.

Praising the president’s development efforts, MP Nihan said that when measuring national progress, the “Yameen Speed” has potential to be globally recognised and commended the president on his fast paced successes.

“When other countries are doing their own evaluations on national progress, the ‘Yaanu Speed’, or ‘Yameen Speed’ will be what they use measure their successes; it will be the model they use an example” MP Nihan said.

“Our goals in nation building and progress is set on par with the ‘Yaanu Speed’. In four years, we aimed to bring development that would leave the nation in awe. And in the last four years, there wasn’t a time when at least 500 development projects were being carried out simultaneously all across the Maldives.”

Taking a jab at Nasheed before concluding his speech, MP Nihan claimed that the former president was “running the country with a laptop whilst sitting in a resort,” and said that he had idly waited for good things to come his way without being proactive.

He also expressed gratitude in the work done by local communities to keep President Yameen in power and thanked First Lady Fathmath Ibrahim and the leaders of the ruling party for their efforts in the president’s re-election bid. He assured that while PPM and its leaders are campaigning across the Maldives, the president is keeping a watchful eye on the government to ensure that no administrative work is hindered.